Whether you're a triathlete in training or someone who's new to the exercise
scene, a heart rate monitor, will assure that you'll
be working your body not too easily, not too hard, but just right.
A heart rate monitor measures your pulse by picking up
on the electronic changes in your heart that occur as you exercise. The result is transmitted to a small
display unit worn like a wristwatch.
Assuming you already know your target training zone (typically 60 to 85% of your maximum heart rate), You
can simply look down and see how you're doing,So they can be very helpful in training.
It's a great way to control a workout and to individualize it, and it's much
more accurate than taking your pulse with your fingers.
While your heart rate can drop significantly within 15 seconds after you stop exercising to find your
pulse, a monitor gives you constant feedback, And because you have that
constant feedback, you can adjust [your intensity]. If it's hot or more humid or you're dehydrated,
your heart rate is very sensitive to that (and will be higher).
One of the biggest benefits of
a heart rate monitor is that it can help prevent overtraining and, consequently burnout and injury.
Some people buy them and use them as a speedometer, but...the point is not to get [your heart rate]
as high as you can, but to keep it in a safe zone or an area that's going to help you reach a
goal.
